After months of wondering whether local wildlife had survived January’s devastating Eaton Fire, Pasadena residents got an answer — in the form of a pool-crashing bear.

On June 4, Ramona Mucciolo looked out from her kitchen window and saw a familiar sight — a cinnamon-colored bear calmly walking into the shallow end of her backyard pool.

“She walked around to the shallow end and got in,” Mucciolo told a news channel. “She seemed peaceful and just wanted to cool off.”

The bear, known affectionately by neighbors as “Cinnamon,” had been missing since the fire tore through the nearby San Gabriel Mountains and scorched more than 14,000 acres, displacing both humans and wildlife. Residents of the Upper Hastings Ranch neighborhood had become used to seeing several bears over the years, but none had been spotted since January.

“Several bears frequented our neighborhood,” Mucciolo said. “Since the fire, none had returned — until June 4, when Cinnamon showed up and relaxed in our pool. We rejoice that at least one bear has survived the fires.”

Security camera footage from Mucciolo’s home captured Cinnamon lounging in the water, splashing around and doing her best to beat the early summer heat. It was a welcome sign of recovery in a community still reeling from a wildfire season that claimed at least 29 lives and burned more than 37,000 acres across the Eaton, Palisades, and Hughes fires.

Cinnamon isn’t the only local bear to reappear after the flames. Back in February, a 525-pound black bear known to residents as “Barry” was discovered hiding beneath a home in Altadena. He had taken shelter in a crawlspace during the fires and remained there for weeks, according to California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials.

“I think during the fire he pretty much stayed there,” said homeowner Samy Arbid, who discovered the bear when a utility crew came to restore power. “I think he was scared. I couldn’t believe it.”

Barry was eventually coaxed out by officials, trapped safely, fitted with a GPS collar, and released back into the Angeles National Forest.

Black bears are native to California and come in a wide range of colors — including black, brown, and cinnamon. While they generally avoid humans, ongoing development, wildfire displacement, and drought have driven more of them into neighborhoods, where pools can be irresistible during warm weather.

Wildlife is adapting to the new normal. And sometimes, the new normal includes a bear doing laps in the pool.